


If You Loved Me

by aswellingstorm



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Heavy Angst, angst city my friends, tw for drug use
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-23
Updated: 2019-01-03
Packaged: 2019-03-22 20:01:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13771479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aswellingstorm/pseuds/aswellingstorm
Summary: Betty Cooper is smart and she’s got a lot of evidence to support her on that: she graduated high school at the top of her class; had near-perfect SAT & ACT scores; there’s a “summa cum laude” written on her diploma from NYU. And it doesn’t really take an idiot to know that going back home for her best friends wedding where she’ll most certainly run into the ex-boyfriend she never really got over is a bad idea. But honestly, what’s the worst thing that could happen?





	1. Once More

**Author's Note:**

> tw; mentions of drug use/o'ding

“Don’t look at me like that,” Betty huffed, exasperation painted across her face, “You know I don’t want to leave you, right?”

A brief pause, “I’m going to miss you so much-I _love_ you so much!” Her voice went high pitch and sugary sweet.

 “That’s right Caramel, mommy loves you!” She nuzzled her kittens face, grimacing at the way her purse slipped out of the crook of her elbow.

Eventually she stood up and straightened her clothing, as Caramel sent her a forlorn look.

“What?” She asked, “I know what you’re thinking-but it’ll be fine! It’s only a few days.”

Their staring contest continued as Caramels tail straightened out as if to say, _Are you sure about that?_

“You won’t even know I’m gone! I have a sitter set up for you and everything,”Betty pleaded, scratching behind the cats ears. In response she got a low, sad mewl, “I’m sorry baby but I’ll be back soon!” 

It took a few more minutes of Betty projecting her feelings unto her cat before she decided she better leave or she’d be late for the bus.

It was a long ride-about six hours, but it gave her plenty of time to think. This was her first time home in almost three years.

After about halfway through college, Betty stopped coming home. She didn’t come home for holidays or birthdays. She didn’t come home on breaks or four day weekends, instead using the time to work or get ahead in her classes. Betty never came back when Veronica pleaded with her to come to their high school reunion or when Veronica giddily announced she’d taken over Lodge Industries after her parents early retirement. Not even when Polly held her engagement party or Veronica held hers. She was lucky that Polly made her wedding a destination one down in Florida but Veronica…not so much.

Veronica insisted she’d marry Archie Andrews in the very town that brought them together. And that was the very reason why Betty was sitting on a bench outside the Riverdale Bus Station, huge sunglasses masking most of her face while she typed away quickly on her iPhone. Her suitcase, holding only the bare necessities as she insisted she wouldn’t stay longer than _absolutely_ necessary, was perched beside her as she huffed over the wait time of the nearest Uber- thirty-five minutes. 

“Well,” a voice called out from just a few feet away from her. It was deep and familiar in a way that rang out through her bones. It was a voice that, at one point, used to make her heart skip a beat. The memory of it all made her excited, just briefly until she could feel herself fill with an uncomfortable turning in her gut. Remembering how it all ended, although nearly three years ago, still knocked the wind out of her. “Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes?” 

Steeling herself and putting on a brave face, she slowly lifted her head up to see the man, the former love of her life, grinning wildly from a few feet away. It was a genuine smile-that much she could tell. He was really happy to see her, as a part of her was to see him as well. But there was tension in his movements, a large breath of awkwardness filled the air. 

“Jughead Jones,” she smiled, finding it weird to actually say the name. It’d been a while since she called the elephant in her heart by its name. She’d thought about him often, probably _too_ often. “What are you doing here?” 

He shrugged and she noticed something-nearly knocking her off of her seat. He wasn’t wearing his Serpents jacket. His hair was combed up and he…actually looked _healthy_. Nothing at all how he looked during the last year of their relationship. “Oh you know, the ol’ ball and chain. Wife’s making me pick up the kids from school.” His thumb pointed outward, gesturing to the yellow bus dropping children off down the street.

She must’ve looked more surprised than she felt because Jughead laughed instantly, “That was a joke! I’m joking-and yeah. It was a _very_ stupid joke, sorry.” She felt her chest decompress, worry and unnecessary jealousy filtering out of her body. “I’m…actually here to give you a lift. To your hotel.”

Betty raised an eyebrow, unamused. “Let me guess, Veronica put you up to this?” Part of her wanted to be wrong about that, wanted him to come here and pick her up because he wanted to, not because Veronica was attempting to meddle again.

But she also knew that wasn’t exactly fair of her. She left him. What did she expect? For him to wait around every day until she came back? To jump at the first opportunity to see her? She was certain it must’ve taken some convincing on Veronica’s end to get him to even pick her up today. 

He raised his hands in defense, “You know your best friend’s a force of nature better than anyone -except for Archie, maybe.” 

“Jury’s still out on that,” she tried to smile, locking her phone and shoving into her purse before standing up. She smoothed out the creases of her dress pants and looked up to find Jughead staring at her.

“You look…good,” he stated with a hesitant smile.

She returned it easily, “I was aiming for _great_ but I’ll settle for that.” 

He let himself laugh a little at that, reaching out to grab her suitcase by the handle. “So, uh, are you waiting for someone?”

She knew what he meant by _someone_. A boyfriend. Fiancé. Husband. Whatever. Part of her wanted to joke, wanted to toy around with him for a bit. She decided instead to be transparent, “Nope. Just me here.” 

She both loved and hated the way he looked relieved-like someone brought a glass of water to his parched lips. Relieved that her state of singleness meant as much to him as his did to her. Resented it because it didn’t- that couldn’t-there was no _meaning_ behind it. She wasn’t single because she was waiting for him and her being single didn’t mean they could just pick up and get back together. 

She had to remind herself to take deep breaths. She was getting too far ahead of herself. They’d barely spoken three works to each other and she was already thinking about them getting back together? Or not getting back together? Either way, Betty concluded she needed to slow down. She was just here for a few days, for her best friend’s wedding. Not for tearful reunions or heartfelt confessions of longing; this wasn’t about her.

 He inhaled deeply, speaking before he could think better of it, “Has there been. Um. Anyone?”

Her eyes narrowed. Memories of spotting a familiar snake patch from across a dimly-lit club in Manhattan watching her grind on some nameless guy- was it Tom, maybe?- with distasteful eyes a few months after the break up filled her mind. “Wouldn’t have one of your _spies_ ratted me out if there was?”

His face fell, losing all sense of cordiality. “I said I was sorry about that,” he hissed, “And I don’t run with _them_ anymore.”

Surprised, her mouth fell open. “You’re out of the Serpents?”

He fixed his stare straight ahead, no longer looking at her. “I have been for a while now.”

“And…” she knew she shouldn’t ask, she didn’t dare try it but…she couldn’t stop herself. She _needed_ to know. “You’re, um, clean?”

“Yep,” the answer was curt. He held no pride behind it. “Turns out those two things played into each other. You were right all along.”

 “Jughead-” 

“What?” He snapped, turning to look at her once again. His look sent chills up her spine-eyes were pooling with swirls of bitter resentment. “You would’ve known that if you _called_. If you didn’t just-”

She didn’t want to fight with him here, in public. Betty had always had a suspicion that Jughead expected to hear from her or was waiting on a call. She’d stew over that very thought for hours, angrily reminding herself and her innocent cat that he had no _right_ to place that expectation on her. 

“We were broken up!” She pushed her sunglasses to rest on her head, “I didn’t _have_ to call you! I didn’t owe you anything!”

“ _We_ ,” he snorted at the noun, “that almost makes it sound like it was mutual.” 

Another anxiety of hers over the break up was that it was somehow her fault. Fear that she’d be the one to shoulder the blame, viewed as the one who didn’t care enough to fight for their relationship.

“Oh,” she crossed her arms, worried that the metaphorical steam rising out of her head would cause her ponytail to frizz up, “It _was_ mutual. I can promise you that.” 

“Really? Because last time I checked a _mutual_ decision involves two parties Cooper, not one packing their bags in the middle of the night-”

“Stop.” She cut him off, mid-sentence. Perhaps Betty from three years ago would cry or get overwhelmed- but _new_ Betty was tight and firm. She stepped a bit closer to him and ignored the way he seemed to shrink backwards into himself. “You know that’s not true _Jones_.” Her voice was a sneer, thin and revealing the venom underneath, “I gave you a choice. It was the Serpents or me and you know what you did? You chose the Serpents, Jughead. You _always_ did.” 

There was silence between them as her words sunk into his head. Vaguely, in the far recesses of her mind, Betty could hear something shattering. Something had changed between them, the finger pointing eliminated any chance they had of exchanging pleasantries throughout the week.

He was fuming in a silent rage. His nostrils were flared and he looked at her like she’d set the world on fire and told him it was only a spark. He opened his mouth to say something when she stopped him once again. 

“Let’s…let’s not do this here, Jughead, alright?” 

He laughed, a bitter and strange sound. “Fine then. Do you remember how to get to the fucking parking lot or do you need a map?” 

A jab at her three-year sabbatical. She merely huffed and grabbed the suitcase of his hold, ignoring the way their skin sparked. Betty stalked away towards the parking area, Jughead only a few feet behind yet oceans away.

* * *

 

Before going back to Riverdale, Betty had a feeling her best interests may lie in avoiding Jughead entirely. She knew there was a lot of unresolved feelings, pent up emotions and lingering anger and hurt. 

The awkwardly silent car ride proved that theory. It was a ten minute drive, _if that_!-  but it seemed to stretch on for an eternity. She tried her best not to look at him and he tried his best to keep his eyes on the road.

He had a new car, a _new_ new car. Leather interior, heated seats, blue tooth radio, a _sun roof_ for godsake. It was nice and cleaned up, much better than his beat up motorcycle.

She couldn’t help but feel…impressed. And somehow, estranged. He had a new look, a new car, he was done with the Serpents. She expected to wait on baited breath to see him, to watch him roll into the rehearsal dinner half an hour late with his leather jacket worn, hair a mess and reeking of cigarettes. She counted on herself rolling her eyes at him, on him childishly ignoring her throughout the festivities as he hid behind a shield of his serpent followers. 

But he was here. In his new car. No jacket. No Serpents. He wasn’t avoiding her. He, voluntarily or not, went out of his way to pick her up. 

It almost made Betty wonder if he’d changed. A change that was more than welcomed and far past due…but it also made him a Jughead that was different than the one she knew. And, again, while that was most likely for the best, she felt a strange pang for the better parts of their relationship.

His life went on without her, just as hers went on without him. That was enough to make her shudder as a wave of nostalgia washed over her. 

Already emotionally exhausted, the pair finally pulled up to the hotel. 

“I know,” he said quietly, pushing a button that shut his car off, “I know why you had to leave.”

Betty felt the wind get knocked right out of her. 

“I couldn’t do it anymore, Jug,” the blow of the confession was lessened by the use of an old term of endearment. 

“I know,” he turned to her and she felt comfort in the waves of understanding in his eyes, “It just…I just always thought you’d come back, I guess. I never thought you’d move on so quickly, or that it’d be so…easy for you. I mean, _shit_ , three years of radio silence and you come back in here like not a day has gone by.”

“It wasn’t easy,” she debated. He clearly _didn’t_ understand, not what she truly meant.“You could’ve called too, you know. How was I supposed to know that all of _this_ happened?” She gestured to him, to his car. 

His eyes darkened and it was like she had once again said something to ruin the mood. His face shifted into something sad, something defeated. “I guess you weren’t.” 

“I guess not,” she echoed. It was childish, their little game of song and dance.

Betty just wanted to get into her hotel room and decompress-she needed to relax before she had to face everyone again. She was looking forward to collapsing face-first into an overly plush comforter and groaning into the void. 

She opened the door and stepped out of the car to see Jughead already popping open the trunk and grabbing her suitcase.

“Thanks,” she commented earnestly, “I could’ve-you didn’t have to do that.”

He didn’t respond, merely glancing up at her with a disapproving look. She remembered then, all of the times he opened the door for her or held a seat out for her or carried her shopping bags throughout the mall. 

Jughead began walking into the lobby and she followed him closely behind, walking into what could only be described as a sheer disaster.

Decorations were haphazardly strung across the lobby, Betty wasn’t too surprised to find that Veronica booked the _entire_ hotel for the wedding, streamers and banners looked misplaced or fallen. There was silverware fallen to the ground, a few shattered plates littered across the way. Betty could see a caterer apologizing profusely to surrounding guests and she was nearly knocked off of her feet when a woman wearing a headset and clutching a clipboard to her chest ran past her crying.

Jughead grabbed her at the elbow to prevent her from falling with cautioned eyes. There in the middle of the mess of a lobby, the eye of the hurricane was Veronica. Her eyes lit up as soon as she saw Betty and she came barreling towards the blonde.

“B!” She screeched with joy, “You made it!”

Betty laughed as she hugged her friend back, “Of course I did! You’re getting _married_ , V, how could I miss that?” 

“I _missed_ you!”  Veronica hugged her tighter. 

“It’s only been a few weeks since you visited!” Betty argued, smile evident in her voice.

“And you guys facetime each other _every night_ ,” A voice chided from behind them. 

Betty looked up to see Archie smiling fondly at them and she soon found herself wrapped tightly in his arms. He’d been working out, his muscles were more defined and he was certainly stronger-if the way he picked Betty up and swung her around was any indication. 

“Put me down Arch!” She insisted, but her voice was strained with laughter.

“It’s been too long,” he frowned, placing her on the ground. He visited a few times with Veronica but it’d been a few months. He was only speaking in good nature when he said, “You should come around more often.”

Veronica slapped him gently on the shoulder, eyes widening in a way that silently said _knock it off or you’ll be spending our wedding night on the couch_. 

He took the hint easily looking over Betty’s shoulder at Jughead who had a forlorn look on his face.

Betty coughed awkwardly, itching to change the subject. “So, uh, dare I ask what happened here?”

“What?” Veronica asked, seeming genuinely confused before following her stare. “Oh, all of _this?_ ” Her head snapped back to Betty with a roll of her eyes. “My wedding planner just _quit_! Can you believe it?”

“Babe,” Archie scratched his ear uncomfortably, “Do you think it may have something to do with the fact that you told her everything she did was a disgusting mistake?”

“Oh,” Jughead piped in, “She didn’t use the monkey line again?”

“What monkey line?” Betty asked, eyes shifting between the group in confusion. Veronica ducked her head down, embarrassed.

“Oh, haven’t you heard Betty?” Archie smirked, “It’s a classic-‘why did I hire you when I could have easily driven over to the Greendale zoo and picked out any monkey?’”

“No, no,” Jughead corrected, “It was ‘why did I waste my breath hiring you when any monkey at the Greendale zoo could follow simple directions better than you?’”

“Alright,” Veronicas voice was shrill and embarrassed, “That’s enough of that!” 

Betty allowed herself to smirk before her brows furrowed, “So, wait, that means you’re out a wedding planner?”

“I don’t need a wedding planner,” Veronica huffed, hands on her hips, “I mean the wedding is only two days away! All I need is to pick up the cake, set up all the decorations, finish the seating chart, put together the center pieces, run the rehearsal dinner-“ She was working herself up, eyes widening with stress as she listed each activity. 

“Why don’t I just do it? You know, pitch in?” Betty asked with a sweet smile. 

Immediately Veronica squealed, pulling Betty into a hug as she thanked her profusely, “You’re the best, B!”

“I could help too,” Jughead offered, causing the three of them to look over in surprise. “What? I’m capable of picking up a cake-hell, I picked up the maid of honor!”

Archie looked like he wanted to say something, to open his mouth and voice confusion when Veronica subtly elbowed him.

“That’s fine, the more the merrier!” Veronica said cheerily, “Honestly, that makes the whole rooming situation make a lot more sense.”

“What rooming situation?” Betty and Jughead asked in unison, surprising themselves.

“Oh, uh, well,” Veronica cringed a little in anticipation, “There was an issue…” 

“Yeah?” 

“With booking…”

“Yeah?”

“And some people…may be impacted by this issue…” 

“Okay…” 

“And I mean-I told you! She’s incompetent!” 

“Just spit it out already!” 

“You two have to share a room!” She managed to say, bracing herself immediately afterwards. “But I mean, if its that much of an issue, Betty can just room with me, I suppose…”

Betty rolled her eyes, “Don’t worry about it Veronica. We’ll make it work.”

 _I mean, we couldn’t make a relationship work but sure-we’ll try making roommates work_ she thought bitterly, looking up to Jughead who she was certain was on the same wavelength as her.

It couldn’t be that hard, could it?


	2. Walls and Coffee

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> mentions of drug use/o'ding

It could, in fact, be _that_ hard.

 

Betty came to realize as much when she was greeted with an alarm clock blaring at five ( _five_!) am.

 

She groaned, throwing a hand over her eyes and rolled over-only to be met with the wall of pillows she had constructed as a divisive line between two halves of the bed. Jughead managed to look only mildly offended, scoffing at her indignantly.

 

_“Really Betts? Would’ve brought my camera if I knew the Great Wall of China would be here,”_ _He retorted as she pretended like she didn’t hear him-or that her heart didn’t hurt at the way he spoke her nickname._

The wall was very necessary. Sleeping next to him was too comfortable, too familiar. She needed a reminder to not fall into old habits.

“Top of the mornin’ to ya,” His voice was too loud-too giddy as she felt him shift out of the bed.

 

Betty didn’t waste her time or energy by glaring at him like she so desperately wanted to-instead gripping the comforter and burrowing herself deeper into the warmth in an attempt to block out the noise.

 

 The alarm clock was _still_ blaring. Maybe it was just her imagination running wild, but she could swear it was somehow getting _louder_ through some ungodly force. Abruptly, she sat straight up in the bed and narrowed her eyes at him.

 

Voice groggy and full of sleep, she began to threaten him, “If you don’t turn that thing off right now-wait, what are you doing?”

 

Betty looked up at him in confusion, taking in his full appearance. Dressed in a grey t-shirt and were those _running shorts?_   He had headphones slung over his shoulder and he was staring at her as he was tying red running shoes.

 

“Going for a run, care to join?” Jughead responded with a wide grin, knowing damn well what the answer was going to be.

 

“Since when do you go on runs?” If she had been fully awake and not so exhausted from yesterday’s events, she might’ve thought twice before asking such a question. One that implied she still knew him well enough to know his fitness levels.

 

“Since I got out of _rehab_ ,” His answer was a sharp snap. Not overly bitter, but she cringed nonetheless, “A lot changes in three years.”

 

Betty glanced at the wall of pillows between them and back to him with sadness in her eyes, “You’re not wrong about that.”

 

Something washed over him, his expression changed to one of bravado, “Besides, I gotta stay in shape for the wedding. I could just meet the _one_.”

 

After she rolled her eyes and scoffed he added, “Hey, don’t worry about it-I’ll remember to put a sock on the door knob.”

 

If he was trying to make her jealous or goad her into playing his game, it was working. She felt the hot blade of jealousy twisting around in her gut.

 

 “Not if I put one on it first.” Her smile was maliciously sweet and she regretted it the moment she saw his face falter.

 

And when he slammed the door behind him, she knew there was no point in trying to go back to sleep.

 

* * *

 

 

Going back to her childhood home left Betty feeling a bit anxious, and acutely aware that her mother was already disappointed that Betty hadn’t come by to say hello in the 18 hours she’d been back in Riverdale.

 

Just after walking through the door of her house, she was met with the screams of toddlers and the sight of a very exhausted Polly at the isle of the kitchen.

 

The twins noticed her entrance first, screaming _“Aunt Betty!”_  as they nearly tackled her to the ground.

 

“Betty?” Polly called out, unable to hide the smile in her voice.

 

Betty scooped up the toddlers, one in each arm before turning to her sister-eyes wide with surprise, “Polls-you, you cut your hair?”

 

“I did!” Polly confirmed, her freshly cut hair was now laying straight across her collarbones. It swayed behind her as she pulled Betty into a warm embrace.

 

“I can’t believe it!” Betty exclaimed, eyes widened in surprise as she put the children down.

 

Polly looked at her self-consciously, “What? You don’t like it? Is it too short?”

 

“No, no,” the younger sister disagreed hastily, “It’s just… _wow_. I mean, not too long ago you cried when the hairdresser cut off a half of an inch.”

 

She was met with a half-hearted shrug, “I just wanted a change.”

 

“Your sister has been thinking about cutting her hair for two years, Betty,” a sharp, daunting voice called out from the top of the staircase. “You might know that if you thought to stop by every now and then.”

 

Betty rolled her eyes-her mother was still the same dramatic piece of work she’d always been. They’d just seen each other not even two months ago to celebrate Easter in Betty’s apartment, but here her mother was acting as if decades had passed before seeing her daughter. Polly gave her a sympathetic glance and a light squeeze on her arm.

 

“Well on that note, I better get these rascals to Cheryl’s’ place,” Polly suggested, timing all-too convenient.

 

“Cheryl?” Betty questioned. Cheryl, although she was Polly’s sister in law, had never been on the kindest of terms with the Cooper girls. At the Blossom toddler’s baptism, Cheryl had a meltdown in the middle of the church because Polly had given Betty the glorified role of godmother instead of her.

 

“Yeah,” Polly acknowledged before looking down, “We’ve gotten…closer. She’s helped out with the twins a lot, actually.”

 

At her name, the twins began rambunctiously screaming for their other aunt-completely detaching themselves from Betty in the process.

 

“That’s good,” Betty replied with a smile. Partly, it was true. It _was_ good that Polly got along with Cheryl-she knew her sister suffered awkward in-law dinners so having one less enemy at the table was probably a good thing. “I mean it,” she added at Polly’s incredulous stare.

 

Plus, Betty figured, Polly looked exhausted. If Cheryl offered to babysit so Polly could have a minute to breathe, then good for her.

 

As she was rationalizing all of this internally, Betty cursed herself for even feeling the need to rationalize in the first place; she was already over thinking everything.

 

“Hey,” Polly squeezed her arm, almost as if she could hear Bettys thoughts racing around her head, “Why don’t we get lunch tomorrow?”

 

Betty nodded quickly as her mother rolled her eyes, “Come now Elizabeth, let me show you your room.”

 

Before Betty could move, Alice grabbed her wrist and guided her up the stairs. Upon hearing the quieting of noise and a soft click of the front door, signaling Polly’s departure, Alice spoke again.

 

“I don’t know what your sisters going on about,” she huffed, “Those Blossoms haven’t changed a bit. Neither Cheryl nor that Jason boy are any good.”

 

Betty rolled her eyes, “Come on mom, I thought we buried the hatchet at Jason and Polly’s wedding?”

 

“That was before I realized Penelope would be so demanding of the toddler’s time,” Alice held her hand at her hip with an irritated stare, “Honestly Betty, it’s like nothing’s changed.”

 

As soon as those words left her mouth, Alice opened the door to what _used_ to be Betty’s old room. The younger blonde looked on in unmasked surprise at the hard wood floors, wide windows and eggshell blue walls that took over her childhood memories.

 

“Mom?” Betty questioned with a hesitant step into the room, “What is all of this?”

 

The room was bigger than she recalled, maybe because there was so little furniture-save for some exercise balls and yoga matts.

 

“My new personal yoga room- I teach a class every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning,” Alice smiled proudly at her work.

 

“But-what-how?” Betty stammered, looking to her mother curiously.

 

“It’s quite simple Betty,” Alice tsked, “I just had your father tear down the wall between you and your sisters old room and _voila!_ My very own yoga studio.”

 

“But what about all of my stuff? And Polly’s stuff?” Betty wanted to dive in and ask when her mother had even picked up yoga as a hobby but thought better of it after her spat with Jughead this morning.

 

“It’s all in a storage unit on the Southside,” Alice replied before fishing a small, silver key out of her pocket and handing it to Betty, “Which reminds me-here’s your key! I wouldn’t leave your stuff in their too long-wouldn’t want it to get moldy now would we?”

 

* * *

 

 

“Rough morning, huh,” Veronica looked over at her best friend sympathetically. Her fingers tapped steadily on the porcelain mug, courtesy of the hotel.

 

“Everything’s just… _different_ ,” Betty offered a sad smile.

 

Veronica arched a brow at her, “Well, what did you expect? Everything to be the same way you left it?”

 

Maybe she had. Maybe she anticipated walking back through the doors of her old home to see Polly and Jason cuddling on the couch while her parents bickered over something trivial in the kitchen. Maybe she expected to run up to her old room and sit on the windowsill, hoping a certain Serpent would stop by.

 

“Besides,” Veronica cleared her throat before looking pointedly over Betty’s shoulder, “Sometimes change can be a good thing.”

 

Betty followed her stare to see Jughead, cleaned and changed into a pair of jeans, walk through the door of the lobby. She looked back at her friend to find an unsettling grin on her face.

 

“Veronica, stop,” Betty sighed, exasperated, “If you’re thinking about meddling, _please_ don’t.”

 

“No promises,” Veronica flipped through the pages of the wedding magazine in front of her.

 

“I’m serious V,” Betty spoke more confidently, “What happened between him and I-it’s over.”

 

“Are you sure about that?” Veronica seemed unconvinced.

 

“If he wanted anything to do with me, he would’ve called the moment he got clean,” Betty countered stubbornly.

 

“I don’t think you’re being very fair,” Veronica hummed in disagreement, “I think you two need to have a talk with each other.”

 

“We have talked-”

 

“No I mean a _real_ talk. All cards on the table, laying it all out on the line,” Veronica stated, “It’s the only way you two can ever resolve anything and _move on_. It’s been three years for god sakes and it’s _painful_ the way you two dance around each other. The way you try to indiscreetly ask or _not_ ask about each other with Archie and I- “

 

“He’s asked about me?” Betty couldn’t help the wonder in her tone and the following shame at the disappointed look Veronica sent her, “Sorry-point taken.”

 

In a truly “saved by the bell” moment, Betty’s phone went off. Her stomach plummeted at the sound, it was the one she saved only for her boss.

 

The same boss who _wasn’t_ supposed to be calling her on the one vacation she had requested in her two years of working there.

 

“You have cell service, what a relief!” Came the voice of Ingrid Nikols, the editor in charge of the publishing company Betty worked for, “I just didn’t know what to expect—what with that backwater town you call home.”

 

“Ms. Nikols,” Betty’s voice was strained, smiling through her teeth as if the woman could see her, “What can I do for you?”

 

“Oh Betty,” the woman bemoaned, “I miss you _so_ much! You know you’re my only competent employee right?”

  
“I,” Betty began to talk before Ingrid cut her off.

 

“It’s just-when you passed off your assignments for the week to the rest of the team for, what was it? You’re getting your wisdom teeth removed? Tonsils?”

 

“My best friend is getting married,” Betty reminded her tensely, tapping her pen anxiously. Veronica looked affronted from the other side of the table as Jughead began walking towards them. “Remember, I showed you the pictures from their engagement party?”

 

“ _Ohhhh_ ,” Her voice drawled in fake-recognition, “Right, right, right. Your friends-Angie and Valerie? What a lovely couple they make and, hey! Love is love, right?”

 

Ingrid’s voice was loud enough for both Veronica and Jughead to overhear, and Veronica’s jaw just about hit the floor. Jughead, however, couldn’t keep himself from snickering.

 

“Anyway, I’ve been reading through their work and, let’s be honest Betty: it’s trash! Just—garbage, you know? I can’t publish this!”

 

“Why don’t you email it to me,” Betty suggested through gritted teeth, clutching her phone with white knuckles. She knew it was what her boss was gunning for, she figured she’d spare herself the time and just offer to help. “And I can look it over and make some edits?”

 

Veronica began shaking her head, looking downright outraged as she whispered, “Betty Cooper say no! For once in your life say ‘No!’ Do not help this woman—you promised me _no work!”_

 

“Oh Betty,” Ingrid’s voice crooned, clearly satisfied. “You really are the best, you know that? I’ll send them to you right now and if you could just send me the revisions before 8AM tomorrow, that’d be perfect!”

 

“It’s no prob—”

 

“Really, dear. Keep this up and maybe we can finally talk about that promotion,” Ingrid concluded before hanging up.

 

_That promotion._

“That promotion,” Veronica scoffed, “You mean the one she’s been promising you since you started there as an intern _two years ago?_ ”

 

“Veronica,” Betty’s voice was tired, defeated. She pinched the bridge of her nose, she didn’t need this conversation now.

 

Not when she knew she actually had to do some _real_ work.

 

“She’s using you,” Veronica pressed, “Clearly. She dangles that promotion in front of you to just to keep you in her pocket.”

 

“You don’t think I know that?” Betty snapped, turning her head back up to glare at her best friend. Somewhere along the conversation, Jughead had slipped out again.

 

Veronica flinched and Betty was immediately filled with regret, “I’m sorry. I just…it’s just. It sucks. And I’m—“

 

“Tired,” Jughead in unison with Betty, swooping in to place a cup of coffee in front of her.

 

A fair bit of tension seeped out of Betty as she took in the cup before her. Clearly, some type of creamer and sugar had been added, she wondered if he remembered the way she took her coffee…

 

“Splash of half and half with _half_ of a sweet and low packet,” His voice was gentle, void of any of the venom it had earlier that morning.

 

“You remembered,” Betty looked up at him with soft eyes and a small smile.

 

“’Course I did,” he returned her smile with ease.

 

In the moment, it was too much. The way he grinned down at her, she could feel herself almost go back in time and relive multitude of memories they had shared over a cup of coffee.

 

Like when they were in high school and he’d meet her at her locker, piping hot cup in hand. Or the many occasions they’d retreat to the comfort of Pop’s and talk into the late hours of the night over many of the hot beverages. Sipping in silence in FP’s trailer as they worked on whatever investigation they were hammering away at or in college years-Betty would be working on a research paper and Jughead planning out a poorly disguised scheme for the Serpents.

 

The last memory was enough to send her brain spiraling down to more unpleasant ones.

 

The way her porcelain mug had shattered, the one he bought her for her birthday that year, when the door to the trailer flew open one cold, windy night.  He had been dragged home in his serpent comrades, clearly too far gone to walk on his own.

 

And angrily preparing a cup to go when they’d gotten into one of their more frequent arguments towards the end of their relationship. Remembering the way her fingers curled angrily around the metal canister when she found he’d dropped out of community college, dedicated now to a full life of Serpent-hood.

 

The most harrowing of memories comes in the form of a Styrofoam cup, clutched loosely in her cold hand. It had tasted more like hot water than anything else but at that moment she had more pressing matters on her hand as she sat in the waiting room of The Riverdale General. After Jughead had overdosed. _Again_.

 

Then the final cup of coffee consumed as quietly as possible in the still of the night as she packed up whatever lingering items she still had laying around the old trailer. Forlorn glances cast at her former lover, sleeping soundly on the couch after he came home high and drunk _again_.

 

Echoes of an ultimatum had been ringing in the back of her head as she packed her things; a threat that if he came home like _that_ one more time she would leave.

 

And Betty Cooper was nothing if not a woman of her word.

 

“Ahem,” Veronica cleared her throat, bring Betty back to the present moment, where she had gotten lost and caught up in ghosts of memories.

 

Jughead was looking at her with concern now, a frown tugging at the corners of his lips. Worried he’d done something wrong in what would’ve ordinarily been a kind gesture; Betty could still read his facial expressions like an open book.

 

Veronica lifted a few cardboard boxes onto the table with various items in them; glass bottles, balls of twine, electronic tea lights, small bunches of baby’s breath. She went into depth about how to assemble the center pieces for the wedding, sliding a photo across the table to Betty and Jughead.

 

But Betty’s mind was still wandering elsewhere. Stomach swirling with dread and anxiety over the past.

 

It was all still far too real and not far _enough_ in the past.

 

The times she had almost lost him, to the Serpents, to the drugs…

 

“I’m sorry,” Betty stood abruptly, “I can’t-I have to-I just need a minute.”

 

Darting for the exit, she soon found herself in the lobby, near one of the expansive windows. She could feel the sunlight flitting in through the windows, grounding her to the present moment. She looked out into the courtyard, noting the bright abundance of flowers in the late spring weather. Birds chirped and hopped on patches of dirt.

 

The scene before her seemed simple, peaceful even.

 

“Betty,” a voice called out from behind her, placing a warm hand on her shoulder, “What’s going on? What’s wrong?”

 

She partially turned to see Archie standing behind her, worry etched across his features.

 

Part of her wanted to tell him everything that was on her mind, the millions of thoughts that were brimming at the surface and threatening to spill over.

 

But she found herself hesitating, fearful he wouldn’t understand her. How could he understand what she was going through? What any of _this_ felt like? He never left Riverdale for longer than a week and he never had to. He never had to leave Veronica behind; never had to break his heart to save his soul.

 

“It’s too much, Arch,” she whispered, facing him directly. “It’s been three years since I left but it only feels like I’ve been gone for two days. It feels like everything just…happened overnight.”

 

Archie looked sympathetic for his longtime friend, eyes softening in understanding, “Jughead-”

 

“Not _just_ him. It’s…it’s everything. I mean, Polly cut her hair!” Betty pointed out, eyes widening as his narrowed in confusion, missing the significance of the act. “And the twins are so big, and I just-I feel like I missed it! I missed _all_ of it! And now her and Cheryl are best buds-practically sisters!”

 

 

“Woah woah woah, she didn’t say that, did she? That’s messed up-”

 

“No she didn’t…but I just-I could feel it. And my mom turned my old bed room into a yoga studio! She moved all of my stuff into some storage unit on the Southside. And you know what-it’s everything. Everything is different now, Archie. Everything except…” Her breath hung in the air, lingering on something she couldn’t bring herself to admit.

 

Christ, it’d barely been a day but she couldn’t deny the truth.

 

She never really “got over” Jughead, per se. She tried to box off the feeling and label it as something about how you can “never forget your first love”. But it was far more than simple nostalgia, and coming home was only confirmation of that fact.

 

“Except what?” Archie prompted, eyes drawn with curiosity.

 

Betty couldn’t say it, couldn’t bring herself to admit it—not yet.

 

“I…it feels like yesterday,” Betty could feel the emotions stir within her, vivid as ever before, “Like _just_ yesterday that I left.”

 

“But it wasn’t. It’s been three years,” Archie reminded her poignantly. There was something bitter and resentful in his tone, underneath the surface of his words. “And everything’s different, like you said. People grow and change without you.”

 

“I know. But that doesn’t make it hurt any less,” She confessed, tears slowly streaming down her face, “It feels fresh. It feels like just a week ago I took him home from the hospital the _second_ time after he OD’d.”

 

_Ah._ Recognition flashed across Archie’s face, he remembered that night vividly.

 

“The pain, the anxiety, not knowing if he was going to make it through the night. All of it feels like it just happened. The doubt…all of the hatred I had for his ‘friends’, the Serpents, for myself…” she continued, “For never being enough to get him clean.”

 

“Betty, no,” Archie made a move to hug her, but she took a step backwards and nearly hit the window behind her.

 

“But I worked through all of that! I go to a therapist once a week, I _worked_ through that. I was fine, I was over it. But then I come here, I come home and…it’s still fresh and I realize I was never over _him._ ”

 

“Maybe it’s because you never worked through it here,” “He pointed out, eyes blazing with sincerity.

 

Betty shook her head, “I couldn’t. Staying here…it would’ve ruined me. But now I just feel like I’m some selfish asshole who-who, what? Ran away at the first sign of trouble?”

 

“No,” Archie’s voice was firm, maybe a bit louder than necessary, “No one thinks that Betty. No one thinks you’re selfish or what you did was wrong. I promise you that.”

 

Betty felt unconvinced but let him hug her this time, “ _No one_?”

 

“No one,” he confirmed, hugging her tighter, “Especially not Jughead.”

 

“Really?” she asked, pulling back.

 

His eyes were blazing with sincerity, “If you don’t believe me, ask him yourself.”

 

Betty glanced back at the room she had just ran from. She had a feeling he was still in there, undoubtedly still struggling with the center pieces.

 

“You sound a lot like your bride-to-be,” Betty scoffed.

 

“We’re supposed to be on the same page, aren’t we?” Archie scratched the back of his head, “But, listen Betty…don’t do anything you’re not comfortable with. I’m going to try to talk to the manager of the hotel and see if they can find you another room.”

 

Betty shook her head, “No, seriously, don’t worry about it. I’m okay, I promise.”

 

He sent her an incredulous look which she couldn’t quite blame him for. It hadn’t even been one full day back on Riverdale soil and she already had a breakdown.

 

She did her best to give him a smile, “I’m going to make it work.”

 

* * *

 

“Finished,” she exhaled, shoulders sagging in relief as she leaned back in her chair and away from her laptop.

 

She had just completed the work her boss had thrown at her on the only vacation she’d taken in her adult life. Jughead was at least merciful enough to let her work through it while he got a head start on the centerpieces.

 

Her cup of coffee had long since been drained and the only sound in the air between them was her typing and him struggling with twine.

 

“Now who’s that handsome fella?” Jughead asked, sparing a glance at her laptop background.

 

It was a picture of Caramel, curled up in a ball on Betty’s bed in her apartment in the city. Caramel was just a kitten at the time and had been sleeping peacefully when Betty snapped the picture.

 

“ _Her_ name is Caramel,” Betty corrected with a proud grin, angling her laptop so he could get a better look.

 

He smiled wistfully, “Of course it is. How did I not guess that?”

 

Betty frowned, “What do you mean?”

 

“I’m referring to your little campaign in middle school where you tried to convince your mom to let you get a cat. She said you weren’t responsible enough so you proved her wrong with a stuffed animal from the dollar store or whatever and carried it around for like a week- “

 

“And then it randomly went missing!” She finished, eyes sparking in recollection. “I _still_ think the circumstances surrounding Caramels disappearance were a bit…suspicious.”

 

“Of course,” he humored her, “How could they not be?”

 

“My mom was beginning to realize she was wrong,” Betty shook her head, “and next thing I know, Caramel disappeared out of my bedroom one night and she’s telling me the only pet she’ll let me have is a goldish.”

 

“I wouldn’t be surprised if the original Caramel is in a dumpster somewhere with its head cut off,” Jughead deadpanned in jest.

 

Betty shuddered at the thought, “I don’t even want to _picture_ that.”

 

“Caramel Jr. is cute though,” he complimented, a small smile playing at the corner of his lips, “Just don’t let Alice get too close though.”

 

“Definitely not,” Betty agreed readily before shifting the conversation, “How’s Hot Dog?”

 

Hot Dog was Jughead’s father’s dog, one that primarily fell into his care once he joined the Serpents.

 

His posture became rigid at the question and he immediately shifted his focus back to the ball of twine he was working on untangling.

 

“Um,” he cleared his throat, “Well, he’s currently living at the newly resurrected Thornhill.”

 

_Thornhill 2.0_ , as Veronica described it to Betty. Post-graduation, Cheryl had created a fashion social media empire which allowed her to recreate her childhood home. As creepy as it sounded, it was a move that was so totally Cheryl.

 

“Why’s he living with Cheryl?” Betty cocked her head to the side, disbelief evident in her voice.

 

“Ah, well,” he ran his fingers through his hair, leg bouncing nervously next to her, “The thing is-I just, I forgot just how much you missed…You remember Toni, right?”

 

_Toni. Cotton candy haired serpent._ Betty remembered disliking her, thinking she’d make a pass for Jughead. Worse than that, she had introduced Jughead to the world of Serpents and, if her memory served correctly, gave Jug his first shot of jingle jangle.

 

She fought back against the feelings of anger that coursed through her at the name, instead shaking her head in affirmation.

 

“Well, her and Cheryl are _together_ ,” Jughead explained. Before Betty could voice her confusion and wonder how in the hell holier-than-thou Cheryl had ended up with one of the Southside junkie’s she claimed to hate so much, he continued, “And after Toni got clean and moved in with Cheryl…they took Hot Dog with them.”

 

“Truth is,” he sighed “Really wasn’t doing too well for a while back there. You saw that, uh-obviously, but um. Things got worse after—after everything happened with us. And Cheryl and Toni took him but told me I could go get him whenever I got clean.”

 

Betty tried to ignore the implication, the message underneath it all. That her leaving had only made things worse for him. She feared that was the case, it was an anxiety that always stopped her from leaving. She wouldn’t be able to live with herself if she left Riverdale only to hear a few days later that Jughead had OD’d again…and there wasn’t anyone to find him in time.

 

But watching him waste away…it had gotten to a point where she realized she had become a mere shell of herself as well.

 

There were a lot of things Betty wanted to say, but she wasn’t quite sure how to say them. Instead she asked, “But…you’re clean now, right?”

 

“Well, no, I didn’t start shooting up in the past, what, four hours since you’ve seen me,” He replied, but there wasn’t any bite in his voice.

 

“Then why not get him back?”

 

“ _Because_ he’s happier there,” his voice was quick and defensive.

 

The similarities between their two situations were startling. She’d been wondering why he never called her when he got clean…maybe Jughead thought she was still better off.

 

“I mean, I have my own apartment now,” He clarified, “But he’s got all the space in the world up at Thornhill. Not to mention they spoil him rotten, they even have little holiday photoshoots with him—but he loves it. I can tell he does. So I figured why not let him live out his golden years with Cheryl and Toni? I have a key to the place anyway-”

 

A key to Thornhill. Betty’s eyebrows raised at the thought. Since when had Cheryl become such a welcoming person? First with her and Polly, then finding out about her and Toni…and now she’d even warmed up to Jughead? Given him, a recovering addict, access to the valuable items that were undoubtedly adorning every inch of the mansion?

 

He continued to talk and she nodded her head. She wasn’t really sure what to say.

 

“Betty,” he spoke after a pause, “I’m sorry about this morning.”

 

Thinking he was talking about the early wake up call, she dismissed him quickly. “No, Jug-it’s fine…”

 

“It’s not fine,” he argued, “I…I think I have a lot to be sorry for. And I can tell there’s tension between us…”

 

They locked eyes again and it felt like time had frozen before Jughead spoke the words she’d been both fearing but craving to hear all the same:

 

“Do you think we can talk? About us?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's been a hot minute since i've updated this fic but i'm on my way back y'all
> 
> as always you can find me on tumblr @aswellingstorm

**Author's Note:**

> loooool, guess who should be writing her 2 papers, working on her biostats hw, or writing new chapters for a thousand times/just like broken glass but is instead starting a whole new chaptered fic???? i mean i'm really out here writing a new fic when i haven't even seen the latest episodes so l o l
> 
> anyway, you can follow me on tumblr @ aswellingstorm.tumblr.com!


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